• Nynorsk
  • English

Universitetet i bergen logoUniversity of Bergen

Search form

Munkeliv monastery was situated at Nordnes, on the site today known as Klosteret (the monastery). It was a Benedictine monastery founded by king Øystein Magnusson (1103-23). In 1426 the monastery was taken over by the followers of the holy Birgitta of Sweden, the Birgittanians. In 1455 it was ravaged by the Germans, who set the church and the monastery alight as they killed Olav Nilsson, the Norwegian officer at Bergenhus who had fled into the church. The church was rebuilt and for a short time it served as the town’s cathedral, before the Franciscan church in Vågsbotn became the cathedral in 1536. The church was probably already started in the time of Øystein Magnusson (before 1123) and must have been one of the most magnificent church buildings in Bergen.

Jonsklosteret was situated vis-à-vis Strandgaten, in the area between Strandgaten and the place in front of Tinghuset. This was an Augustinian monastery, probably founded in the second half of the 1100s. There are no preserved remains of the monastery building.

  • Fredriksberg

Fredriksberg

Fredriksberg was proposed established already in the 1640s, but the fortification was not finished before around 1706. It is named after Fredrik III. The fortification engineers were of the opinion that Fredriksberg ought to be the most important fortification in Bergen, because from it it was possible to control both Vågen with the town in the east and Nøstet-Sydnes and Puddefjorden in the west. Even the entire area between Kvarven and Sandviken could be protected from this ridge at Nordnes. The fortification had several buildings, amongst them a gunpowder house from around 1700 and fireproof rooms from the 1660s. Both fireguards and the meteorological station have made use of its strategic position. More recently the Nordnes Bataljon had its headquarters at Fredriksberg from 1935.